Should you pray for this game?
Indika is a third-person, story-driven game set in a strange world where religious visions clash with harsh reality. It tells the story of a young nun who sets off on a journey of self-discovery with the most unusual, horn-headed companion by her side. On the outside, Indika seems to be a typical nun attempting to adjust to a difficult and monotonous monastery life. Humble and innocent in her appearance, do not be deceived as this young girl has also made a highly unlikely acquaintance – as she speaks with the devil himself. Indika’s unusual connection with the Evil One leads her on an errand beyond the safe walls of the monastery. The world she discovers can only be described as a wild combination of comedy and tragedy straight out of the novels by Dostoyevski and Bulhakov.
Indika is a strange game. On one hand you are a nun, travelling across Russia with an evil voice in your head, the other has you playing 2D sections where you are either collecting coins, racing vehicles and so on. Indika herself gets an ability every so often where she can “pray” which can change items between the different realms by holding down L2 and letting go to move between them. Working out where to go and when to Pray can be tricky as you try and navigate, but it’s a clever trick and impressive overall.
The story itself is dark, yet has some amusing and random moments like a tiny man hiding in a nun’s mouth, and that’s just for starters. Puzzles are pretty simple and it took me about 5-6 hours to finish the game, but it’s definitely one that I will remember for years to come.
The game’s controls are simple enough, though the game seems to struggle with its framerate when I make Indika run instead of walking. It feels like it’s trying to keep up with itself and faltering, I also came across a bug where I got stuck in a wooden beam and had to reload the chapter to resolve it, but luckily it only happened the one time.
While it has its performance issues, I was impressed with the visuals on the whole. The character models are nicely designed and animated, while the environments are well detailed. Voice-acting is impressive and believable, while the soundtrack is also decent overall.
The Verdict
While it won’t last you long, Indika is a unique and memorable game with some great moments. It may have its performance issues, but it’s worth overlooking them for what is a bizarre, yet superb game.